The annual ema corner, in which wishes for exam passes are made ahead of the school entrance exam season, has been established at JR Iwamizawa Station in central Hokkaido. A special board has been set up in the waiting area in front of the ticket barrier, where candidates hang ema (wooden plaque) on which the name of the school they wish to attend and the like is written.

The setting-up of the board, to offer encouragement to candidate students, has continued since 1987 and this time began in mid-December of last year. The special 1.6-m-high, 1-m-wide board is decorated with illustrations of cherry blossoms and a limited express train from ‘Iwamizawa Station’ to ‘Pass Station’

Approximately 200 ema inscribed with wishes for “the coronavirus to end, and to pass my first-choice school exam” and “to pass the Hokkaido University exam” and the like, are hung on the board

The ema will remain hung on the board until January 31, before being taken to Iwamizawa Shrine in early February as an offering. According to a station representative, “Hopefully it will provide a little support for students who are working hard during the coronavirus pandemic”.